标签 乌克兰 下的文章

宛如圣诞精灵的树干，乌克兰喀尔巴阡山脉 Trees on the northern slope of Mount Khomyak in the Carpathian Mountains, Ukraine (© panaramka/Getty Images)

Merry Christmas

For Christmas Day, we're taking in the winter views on Mount Khomyak in Ukraine's Carpathian Mountains. The bright green moss and the red of the fallen leaves pop against the snowy white, as though the forest were transforming into a magical band of Christmas elves. While much of the Christian world celebrates Christmas on December 25, for those who follow Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions—including many Ukrainians—Christmas is still a couple weeks away. Eastern Orthodox Christmas celebrations are tied to the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the more universal Gregorian calendar, so Christmas Day in Ukraine will be celebrated on January 7.

In many Eastern European cultures, a traditional Christmas Eve dinner consists of 12 meat-free courses meant to symbolize the 12 disciples of Christ. For the Ukrainian feast, kutia, a sweet wheat grain pudding, is a star of the meal—other dishes may include braided bread, fish, and soup. The meal begins when children spot the first star that appears in the night sky. Christmas Day is typically spent in church services and with family.

If you're celebrating Christmas—either today or in 13 days—we wish you a merry one.

圣诞快乐

圣诞节，我们将在乌克兰喀尔巴阡山脉的霍米亚克山上欣赏冬季美景。明亮的绿色苔藓和红色的落叶映衬着雪白的天空，仿佛森林正在变成一队神奇的圣诞精灵。虽然大部分基督教世界在12月25日庆祝圣诞节，但对于那些遵循东正教基督教传统的人，包括许多乌克兰人来说，圣诞节还有几个星期。东正教的圣诞节庆祝活动与儒略历（Julian calendar）有关，儒略历比更普遍的公历晚13天，因此乌克兰的圣诞节将在1月7日庆祝。

在许多东欧文化中，传统的平安夜晚餐包括12道无肉菜，象征着基督的12个门徒。在乌克兰的宴会上，一种甜的小麦布丁kutia是这顿饭的明星。其他菜肴可能包括编织面包、鱼和汤。当孩子们看到夜空中出现的第一颗星星时，这顿饭就开始了。圣诞节通常是在教堂里和家人一起度过的。

如果你今天或13天后要庆祝圣诞节，我们祝你圣诞快乐。